Clinical use of ACQUIRE Therapy for Children Diagnosed With CASK-Gene Related Disabilities.

OBJECTIVE

To report practice based evidence built on clinical findings where an intensive therapeutic approach called ACQUIRE Therapy was used as a rehabilitation/habilitation tool for children diagnosed with CASK mutations. ACQUIRE Therapy delivery is based on principles of learning and guided by a therapeutic framework often used in the delivery of intensive therapy.

DESIGN

Clinical Cohort.

SETTING

Natural environments (eg, home-like environment).

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 20 females, 12 to 128 months, mean age = 44.75 (SD = 31.64).

INTERVENTION: Trained Occupational therapists delivered high-dosage rehabilitation for an average of 64.06 hours (SD = 12.91) across 4 weeks. ACQUIRE Therapy targeted cross-domain intervention targets often associated with executive control and praxis.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical data was examined from the following sources; therapist daily treatment documentation (eg, therapy goals, video recordings, daily therapy logs, and discharge documentation).

RESULTS

Receptive communication improved in all children. The most common motor skill improvements occurred in trunk control occurring in 33% of children; followed by, gross reaching abilities in 21% of children; fine-motor skills in 19%; head control in 15%; and mobility in 12%. Documentation of cognitive-motor pairing of skills was documented in all children.

CONCLUSIONS

Diagnosis specific intervention targets (eg, attention and cognitive-pairing skills) need to be considered when providing therapeutic services to children with CASK-gene mutations and other forms of Global Developmental Delay.Clinicaltrials.gov registration number is NCT03325946. Date of registration: 1 May 2013. Trial Dates: December 2014 and October 2023. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03325946?locStr=Roanoke,%20VA&country=United%20States&state=Virginia&city=Roanoke&cond=Cerebral%20Palsy&intr=Intensive%20therapy&rank=2.